Hot Takes Inside

Category: Philanthropist

Francisco J. Domenech is the Managing Partner of Politank*, Puerto Rico’s leading political consulting and lobbying firm. Through the firm and through his own efforts, Domenech has supported several philanthropic ventures, including: Clinton Foundation Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. He has also been an avid supporter of adding Puerto Rico as the 51st state of the United States. In 2007 he became a member of the Democratic National Committee and endorsed Hilary Clinton in 2008 as a “great friend of Puerto Ricans,” as her campaign supported “enabling the people of Puerto Rico to determine the status of the Island.” Learn more about Francisco at visualcv.com

Francisco also supports others to be politically active: he is the founding President of the Puerto Rico Young Democrats and was elected Vice President of Young Democrats of America in 2005. This desire to work in the political world is part of Francisco Domenech’s family legacy; his great grand uncle Manuel V. Domenech was a member of the first Puerto Rico House of Representatives following the Spanish-American War. He went on to win his seat again in the next two elections. Manuel was also Treasurer of Puerto Rico from 1930 to 1935. Francisco’s second cousin Douglas Domenech is the former Commonwealth of Virginia’s Secretary of Natural Resources and served in the Bush Administration as Deputy Chief of Staff for the United States Department of the Interior.

Francisco Domenech holds two degrees from University of Puerto Rico: a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science (1999) and a Juris Doctor degree (2003) from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. During his time at UPR, Domenech served as President of the General Student Body Council and as an Academic Senator.

In 2005, Senate of Puerto Rico President Kenneth McClintock and Puerto Rico House of Representative Speaker José Aponte appointed Francisco Domenech as Director of the Office of Legislative Services of Puerto Rico. He managed the presidential campaigns of Dr. Victor Ramos, who was elected president of the Puerto Rico Physicians Association in 2014 and 2016. Francisco Domenech continues to offer clients legal advice through Politank*.

For Tony Petrello and his wife Cynthia, an actress, their engagement in philanthropic activities is inspired by personal adversity. Since the birth of their daughter, Carena, they have developed a closer tie with the philanthropy especially the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI). Dedicated to spearheading research in genetic causes of neurological disorders such as epilepsy in children and adults, the Texas Children’s Hospital-based research institute is a beneficiary of the couple’s philanthropic donation. They donated $5 million to aid the institute’s research into periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) including its causes and cure. The couple’s daughter was born prematurely at 24 weeks with the condition. The current chairman, chief executive officer and president of Nabors Industries believes that their donations and fundraising efforts can bring hope to other children suffering from such conditions in the future.

Dedication to Giving Back to the Community

For many residents of Houston, Texas, Tony Petrello and Nabors Industries represent more than just a corporate entity growing exponentially within their midst. Petrello led the company’s employees in one of the impactful charitable undertakings in the community in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Founded on a longstanding culture of philanthropy at Nabors Industries, the employees including Tony Petrello donated thousands of dollars to help in resettling the victims of the hurricane. They also prepared hot meals for the survivors and served them in their temporary shelters while also leading resettlement and clearing of debris efforts. The employees have also established a charitable organization where they donate funds to help various causes in the community.

Petrello has continued to explore various ways to give back to the community. The Petrello family established the charitable organization, Petrello Family Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting various causes in the Greater Houston Area including education, performed arts and medical research. In February 2018, the couple welcomed a fellow philanthropist to their home. Together with his, Petrello hosted Tommy Tune, an acclaimed Broadway performer dedicated to nurturing music talents in his home city of Houston. The legendary musician established the Tommy Tunes awards targeting music students with exceptional talent. Over 50 other guests accompanied tune during the special occasion.

Education Background

Tony Petrello developed a strong interest in Mathematics from an early age. This saw him earn a scholarship to study at some of the world’s most prestigious learning institutions. Tony is an alumnus of Yale University where he specialized in Mathematics for his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees. He later graduated from Harvard Law School with a Juris Doctor degree.

The name Betsy DeVos seems as though it will always be associate with education reform in the U.S., which I believe is a good thing as the work Betsy has completed has been among the most significant in the history of the U.S. education system. Betsy DeVos seems as though she would be an unlikely member of what was once seen as an extremist group looking to bring in new programs based on school choice and voucher systems; however, this is exactly what Betsy DeVos was when she began her career as an education reformer looking for the best ways of making sure every child in the U.S. was given the same chance of attending a top quality school as her own four children.

In reading about the work and life of Betsy DeVos I was pleased to discover she had become a member of the fledgling education reform movement decades ago when her own children were attending school. Betsy has explained in a number of interviews I have read that a single moment or event that could be seen as making her feel so strongly about the need for change in the education system, but she does point to numerous visits to the Potter’s House School in Michigan as inspiring her to find out about the options open to everyday families seeking to provide the best education available for their children. One aspect of the work to provide a better education for the children of the U.S. that I find particularly inspiring is the fact Betsy has been able to cross party lines and inspire politicians from all political persuasions to back her cause; a well known conservative, I have been impressed by the way Betsy has worked with many Democrat’s and independents to find support for school choice and voucher programs in states crossing the U.S.

In my research into many different philanthropists I often find some individuals become fixed on helping a single cause, but I cannot accuse Mrs. DeVos of this as she has worked to help people in a number of different ways. The political work Betsy DeVos has completed for the Michigan Republican Party is obviously impressive, but I believe forms only a small part of her dedication to the people of her home state and the world as a whole. Through The Windquest group Betsy DeVos partners in with her husband Dick a number of impressive investment ventures have been explored, including a dedication to researching clean energy sources. This progressive attitude to global matters can also be seen in the way Betsy DeVos has provided her own financial backing for a scholarship given to students from developing nations to aid in their attendance at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Follow her on Twitter.

The investment banking house is instrumental in its role of instructing or advising its client how to properly raise Capital from lending institutions or other sources—such as Pension Funds. The loan packaging arrangement may prove as bi-lateral—meaning more than one lending source, may become involved. However, as it pertains to the Investment Banking House and his or her client, the funding arrangement probably will be one that is syndicated. The preceding means that the loan is backed by that of assets, or is unsecured. The loan package has a tendency, with regard to the advice provided to the client, by the investment banking organization, to be one that is a combo of senior debt, and mezzanine debt. Additionally, the senior lenders are slated to receive repayment of the loan in front of the junior lending houses. The preceding stated: the senior collectors of the loan, actually have a right to be paid, prior, to the junior lending institutions.

The investment banker, with regard to the preceding loan arrangements, will wisely instruct his borrowing client what type of debt to assume—that is, if the deal is considered one that is syndicated. With regard to the preceding loan arrangement: the syndicated loan arrangement is comprised of a book of lenders.

The investment banker, too, is instrumental to his or her client base, in carrying out significant and special areas of loan financing. The loan financing involved includes the areas of: leveraged financing. This type of financing arrangement is when the banker assists the borrower in raising much needed Capital in order to acquire a target company; and relative to project financing—wherein a loan is used in order to fund a project–involving the organization’s infra-structure. The investment banker, in this regard, may additionally advise his or her client—who is in a mode of financial devastation—how to properly restructure his or her debt obligation.

Notes Regarding Martin Lustgarten, CEO of Lustgarten Martin:

Martin Lustgarten is the founder of the noted and reputable investment banking organization of Lustgarten Martin. He makes his home inside of the sunny Miami area. He is known far and wide, reputably, as an honest investment banker and a superb communicator. He provides his savvy negotiation skills to his preferred and highly-sophisticated clients, inclusive of CEOs and up-and-coming organizations, involved in many sectors of the business community.

Mr. Lustgarten, demonstrates his enjoyment of negotiating the deal, from an avocational standpoint, too. Mr. Lustgarten, during his time off from his investment banking role is known to trade high-end vintage collectibles. He admits to a fondness of anything of beauty with value attached–again, relative to high-end vintage relics. Mr. Lustgarten enjoys life in the Miami, area: a metropolitan area which proves friendly, yet thriving, from a business perspective.